Cancer is one of the most dreaded words in medicine but is also becoming increasingly controlled and treated with a variety of surgical, chemical and irradiation processes. The early detection of most cancers through improved testing and screening processes has made early intervention and complete cures possible in cancers which once were invariably fatal.
Among women, cancer of the breast is the most common form of the disease and has traditionally been detectable and treatable through removal of the breast alone or the breast and surrounding tissue and glands. This process requires additional radiation or chemical therapy to ensure complete destruction of all malignant cells.
Increasingly, breast cancer is being detected in early stages through routine mammograms. Detection at such early stages greatly reduces the volume of malignant cell mass to be removed.
The one aspect that has not changed is the need for chemotherapy to reinforce the surgical excision. Such chemotherapy is often introduced through a catheter placed between the breasts to distribute the chemicals directly to the action site for efficient action and reduced side affects.
The catheter must remain in place until the therapy is completed, and during this time the insertion site must be protected from water. Such protection precludes normal showering that can frustrate the individual and complicate personal hygiene and grooming.
Thus, there presently exists a need for a device that would cover the catheter site to allow breast cancer patients to shower normally without risk.